Kashmir: Three test positive
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, March 24
Now, 7 cases in UT
One of the positive cases, a 57-year-old man of Natipora in Srinagar, was a co-passenger of the woman who was the first positive case of Kashmir, on their return from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. He concealed his travel history from health authorities.
AdvertisementThe second patient is a 67-year-old man of Hyderpora in Srinagar. He is a well-known preacher of Deobandi thought of Islam, with a long travel history within India.
The third patient is a 22-year-old Bandipora youth, who had travelled outside Jammu and Kashmir. His contact tracing is on. With these three positive cases, the total number of Covid cases in UT has gone up to seven.
Three more persons have tested positive for Covid in Kashmir, taking the total number of cases in the UT to seven. These include two elderly men from Srinagar and a 22-year-old youth from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
One of the positive cases, a 57-year-old man of Natipora in Srinagar, was a co-passenger of the woman who was the first positive case of Kashmir, on their return from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
The other patient is a 67-year-old man of Hyderpora in Srinagar. He is a well-known preacher of Deobandi thought of Islam, with a long travel history within India.
“Both men were found positive for Covid today. They are under treatment at Chest Disease (CD) Hospital, Srinagar,” said Dr Saleem Khan, a government spokesperson for Covid.
“The (Bandipora) youth has a history of travel outside J&K. Contact tracing is on,” government spokesperson Rohit Kansal said.
Officials said the Umrah pilgrim had concealed his travel history twice during his visits to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). However, on March 21, he visited SMHS Hospital with symptoms of the virus, from where he was referred to CD Hospital for isolation and testing.
Locals questioned the authorities for not conducting his tests, even as his co-passenger was found positive.
The city woman became the first positive case of Kashmir after she arrived in Kozhikode, Kerala, in an Air India flight on March 15 from Jeddah, along with other pilgrims.
She has been treated successfully, said AG Ahangar, Director of SKIMS.
At least 39 co-passengers and five contact persons of the woman are yet to be tested for the virus.
However, the long travel history of the Deobandi preacher across India has perplexed the doctors.
“His condition is critical. He has pneumonia and not maintaining oxygen saturation even after being administered oxygen supplement,” the doctors treating him said.
They said he travelled from January 1 to January 15 to Andaman and Nicobar and returned to Srinagar on January 18.
He went back to New Delhi on March 7 and stayed for two days at Nizam-ud-Din. From there, he travelled to Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh and stayed there between March 9 to March 11.
He returned to Jammu and stayed at Samba mosque from March 12 to 16. He travelled to Srinagar on March 16 and on the same day, went to Deoband Markaz at Sopore town in north Kashmir.
On March 18, he returned to his home at Hyderpora where he developed fever and cough. On March 22, he came to CD Hospital, where he was admitted and finally tested positive for Covid.
The government has designated CD Hospital, Government Medical College, Jammu, SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Bemina, and JLNM Hospital, Srinagar, as Covid hospitals to isolate and treat the patients.
Even the newly constructed in-patient wards of Kupwara, Shopian, Ganderbal, and Pulwama have been designated as isolation wards for Covid patients.
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